From this update on, just as I did for the last Convention, I will be reporting to you on the activities from a personal point of view that I hope will be both interesting and pertinent to Local 311. For a more detailed report, you can log onto our Nat'l. website at www.npmhu.org. The Nat'l. is also providing daily reports. I will still report on the highlights, even though it may sometimes seem like a duplication of information because I realize that every member does not own a computer or have access to the internet. If you have any questions about any aspect of the convention thusfar, you can e-mail me at bshepsr@gmail.com and I will do my best to get you an answer or explanation.
At the conclusion of yesterday's Update, I left you with a sort of "cliff-hanger" involving Sister Roxie Olds-Pride and the Judges of Election results. The outcome was announced at the start of today's session and unfortunately Sister Roxie was unsuccessful. She made a good showing for a first time Convention Delegate and if nothing else got her name "out there". I'm impressed with the fact that she made the attempt and with a little more preparation maybe next time she'll pull it off.
Next was National Officers nominations and almost just as last Convention, National President Hegarty, National Secretary-Treasurer Gardner, the Northeastern Region Vice President (VP), (this time) Paul Hogrogian, the Central Region VP, (this time) Jefferson C. Peppers III, and the Eastern Region VP, Sam D' Ambrosio all went unopposed and were therefore automatically re-elected. Our Southern Region VP, Bruce Miller of Local 310, Georgia was challenged by Terry "Corn Fed" Cordle of Local 318, Florida, and Western Region VP Rudy Santos, Local 320, Arizona, had two challengers, Dot Henderson, Local 302, Northern CA & Northern NV, and Eddie Cowan, Local 303, Southern CA. Due to there being more than two candidates, we'll have to have another primary election to take place on tomorrow morning. The results will then be announced sometime in our afternoon session.
For the second consecutive Convention, to go unopposed and be re-elected by acclamation, well, it really says something about the job these individuals are doing. President Hegarty, as did Secretary-Treasurer Gardner later in the session, took the opportunity to thank all of the Delegates for the huge show of support. President Hegarty then gave what amounts to a State of the Union Address outlining what had taken place since the last Convention and thoroughly expounding on issues we face as a labor organization in the near future and our ability to meet each and every one of them head-on. Each Delegate received this same report in written form called Report Of The National Officers. Anyone wishing to view this report in its entirety, please contact me and I'll make some sort of arrangements to get it to you.
Next we had our first Guest Speaker, AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt-Baker. It should be noted that Sister Holt-Baker is the highest ranking African-American woman in the labor movement and she is originally from Ft. Worth, Texas. She spoke of growing up with parents who did not have unionized jobs and the struggles they faced as opposed to her uncle's job who was unionized. And as expected, she reminded the Delegates of the upcoming Presidential Election and what was at stake for working Americans and their families. She spoke well and I enjoyed what she had to offer.
To start the afternoon session, we had our second Guest Speaker, Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-IL). Congressman Davis is originally from Parkdale, Arkansas, and a former postal employee in Chicago. He is currently the chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Federal Sector, the Postal Service, and the District of Columbia, and always a friend of the Mail Handlers Union. Brothers & Sisters, if you do not remember anything else about what you read in this blog please remember this, the individuals that we/I introduce you to are done so with the intent that when you see and hear their names on TV or in the news know this, they are our allies and we need to do everything that we can to keep it that way! Now, back to Congressman Davis' speech. He pretty much gave up his personal interpretation on what our founding fathers meant when they came up the Postal Service. In his view, it was always the intent for the service to be three (3) things : government run, affordably priced, and universally accessible to all Americans. After hearing his speech, I for one truly believe that as long as he has a say, that's the way it is going to stay.
Following Congressman Davis was another Guest Speaker, Mr. Dale Wolf of Coventry Health Care, the underwriter for the Mail Handlers Benefit Plan (MHBP). Mr. Wolf gave us an update on the relationship we share since January 5, 2001, when Coventry Health Care came on board. He stated that Coventry has a commitment to customer service and membership growth, with the end result being improved health insurance for the hundreds of thousands of enrollees in the MHBP.
Closing out the session was Guest Speaker Terry O’Sullivan, General President of Laborers’ International Union of North America. Brother Terry is originally from San Francisco, California. Out of all of the speakers I have had the opportunity to listen to in my soon to be 30 year Postal career, Brother O'Sullivan is one of, if not the most, charismatic and motivating speakers I have ever personally heard. Every time that I hear him speak, he always says things that many would consider unspeakable. One this occasion, he did so again. Because of what he says, as well as how he says what he says, in all likelihood you will never see him on television or hear him on regular radio. On this particular Tuesday afternoon, he spoke about the upcoming Presidential Election and the FACT that RACE will play a part in how people will vote. He stated that it shouldn't make a difference but we all know that it will as long as there are racist people in this world.
